Kevin Runner

The 200-room, beachfront hotel opened in 2015, adjacent to the Jekyll Island Convention Center and the recently-completed Beach Village.

Runner is a career hospitality executive who opened the Jekyll Island Club in 1986. Originally a 134-room full-service hotel, the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel has evolved into a four-diamond resort largely credited with the island’s renaissance.

“With Kevin at the helm, the Jekyll Island Club Hotel has played a pivotal role in the island’s redevelopment as a modern resort community,” said Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts. “Kevin’s knowledge of seasonal resort operations and the coastal Georgia market is second to none and I am looking forward to having his expert hand guiding our Westin in this next phase of its evolution.”

“The first two years of a new hotel are very challenging and the Westin staff has done a remarkable job getting the hotel ramped up, and ranking in the top 10 percent for guest satisfaction among Westins worldwide,” said Runner. “I’m starting with a table that’s been expertly set and I look forward to leveraging 35 years of local area expertise to help both the hotel, and the entire island achieve, their full potential as a resort destination.”

The Westin Jekyll Island is near the island's National Historic Landmark District and is convenient to the island's four golf courses, ten miles of barrier island beaches and a variety of outdoor recreation, including marsh eco-tours, and more than 20 miles of bike paths and kayaking waterways.

The property’s dining options include The Reserve, serving the freshest local seafood and Salty's poolside bar and café for cocktails and lighter fare, as well as Harry’s @The Reserve, the hotel’s outdoor rooftop bar with sweeping views of the beach and ocean, which is also available for private events. Additional facilities include an outdoor pool, the brand’s signature WestinWORKOUT gym experience and over 5,350 square feet of function space. The adjacent Jekyll Island Convention Center offers an additional 78,000 square feet of meeting space.